Huskies Hope to Get Hard-Luck Durfee Back for Rutgers Game

The UW edge rusher was a surprise scratch against Northwestern.

Zach Durfee didn't play against Northwestern, but is expected back for Rutgers. / Skylar Lin Visuals

On Saturday at Husky Stadium, University of Washington students newly arrived for another school year squeezed into the seats to watch their football team face Northwestern, showing up in a large contingent.

Zach Durfee looked like one of them. down from a campus dorm or a frat house. He was casually dressed in a tan baseball hat, a purple football jersey and black shorts, wearing what appeared to be a flip flop on his right foot.

Trouble was, the 6-foot-5, 256-pound Durfee, a junior from Dawson, Minnesota, was supposed to be in full uniform, taking his place as a starting edge rusher, but he was a surprise scratch. He was relegated to limping along the sideline with his left foot covered by a large, gray protective boot and watching his teammates beat Northwestern 24-5.

Afterward, it was of the opinion of UW coach Jedd Fisch, without giving any specifics on the injury, that his team sack leader was dealing with a short-term situation and might be available for the next game against Rutgers in Friday in Piscataway, New Jersey.

"I'm very hopeful that Durfee will be back Friday night," Fisch said. "I'm very hopeful of that. I'm not a doctor, but that's my hope."

This season has been a bit of an adventure for Durfee -- good and bad -- as a much-celebrated player who came off a spring elbow injury to start the first two Husky games and picked up 2.5 sacks against Eastern Michigan.

However, he didn't start the Apple Cup and was used in somewhat of a limited role against Washington State, and he was either hurt in that game or during practice this past week. He was replaced in the lineup by senior Voi Tunuufi.

Durfee was one of three usual Husky starters who were dealing with health issues and not in the opening lineup against Northwestern, with senior linebacker Carson Bruener and redshirt freshman offensive tackle Soane Faasolo in uniform yet still able to play.

San Jose State transfer Bryun Parham drew his first Husky start at linebacker in place of Bruener, as did Maryland transfer Max McCree at offensive tackle for Faasolo.

Junior free safety Makell Esteen, who started the first two games before coming off the bench against WSU, similarly was injured, in street clothes and held out of action for the Northwestern game. Sacramento State transfer Cam Brousard holds down that position now.

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